The Labour MP Eric Joyce has been suspended from the party after allegations of an assault in a House of Commons bar.

Joyce remains MP for Falkirk but cannot take the Labour whip in the Commons until the completion of a police investigation into the incident.

Scotland Yard confirmed that officers detained a man in his 50s after being called to reports of an incident at a bar within the Palace of Westminster at around 10.50pm on Wednesday. He was taken into custody at a central London police station.

A Labour spokesman said: "This is an extremely serious incident. We have suspended Eric Joyce pending the results of the police investigation."

The PoliticsHome website reported that the MP for Falkirk headbutted and punched the Conservative MP Stuart Andrew, and alleged that he lashed out at several Tory MPs and one Labour MP.